Improvement in floor-scrubbers



'19.Az'BjAL-GH; Floor-Sorubber.

Patented July 23, 1878.

"ATEN'I FFIGE.

FREDERICK A. BAIU, OF IIINGIIAM, VISOOXSI.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLOORSCRUBBERS.

Specilieation forming part ol' Leiters Patent No. 206,?2E2, dated .lulyQ3, 1878; application filed April 5,1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK A. BALCH, of Hingham, in the county ofSheboygan and State of Visconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Floor-Scrubbers; and that the following is a full andclear description of the same, having reference to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein- Figure l is a perspective ot' my improved scrubberwith the brush in action. Fig. 2-'is a perspective view ot' the same,showing the rubber in action. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, showingthe action of gathering' the water from the door.

In scrubbing iioors, ciiiciency requires the use of. both brush andrubber and means for ready removal 0i the free water t'rom thc licor.

My implementv is designed to obviate the necessity of kneeling upon thelicor and the employment of the traditional soap and sand with thehaiul-brush, and also the tedious process of removing the free wa terwith the mop-cloth; and to that end I have, in the same implement,(mounted upon the end of a suitable handle,) combined a scrub-brush anda rubber, of india-rubber or other suitable material, with a waterpan,within which nearly or quite all the free water maybe gathered from thetloor.

I am aware that scrub-brushes have `heretofore been mounted uponhandles, and also that rubbers of india-rubber have also been somounted; but I am not aware ot' a brush, rubber, and water-pan combinedin one structure and mounted upon the same handle. I believe, also, thatthe structure ot the several part-s is new.

That others may fully understand my improvement, l will particularlydescribe it.

A is the brush, with-the tutts of bristles set therein iu the usual way.One edge ot the back ot' A is wider than the other, to facilitate theattachment of the scrubber-back C, which is secured to the brush-back byscrews. One edge of the back of the brush A extends down over a portionof the rubber strip, securely holding it in place.

A rabbet is made in the scrubber-back C, on one side, for the receptionof the scrubber l), which consists ot' a strip ot' vulcanizedindia-rubber, or other suitable material, and a rib, d, is madelongitudinally along the eentra-l part of the opposite side of said backC. This rib is for the purpose ot strengthening the back and offering astrong abutment for the pivot-pins c c, whereby the backs bA and C areattached to the water-pan F and block G, into which the handle l1 isinserted.

`The water-pan F is constructed of galvanized sheet-iron, or othersuitable material, folded and bent so as to form two sides and two endsof the water-pan, as shown. The front edge is made straight and close against the side of the rubber strip or scrubber I), and thereby forms a.tight joint.

The end parts of the back are nailed to the block Gr, which gives itstrength and stittl ness, and is provided with a socket for the end ofthe handle Il.

Two strong spiral springs, I l', placed between the back edge ot' theblock G and the edge ot' the back C, keep the whole structure iirm andthe front edge of the waterpan F tight-ly closed against the rubberstrip l); but said springs may be caused to yield by a backward movementof the implement with the edge ot' the scrubber pressed hard down uponthe floor. The pan F is thereby opened, so that the water accumulatedbehind the rubber, bythc movement described, will be caused to flow overinto the pan, as shown in Fig. il.

rlhe cessation ot' the pressure described will cause the pan to close,and the water will be retained.

The hole serves i'or the discharge otl the inclosed water in the bucketor other reccp tacle.

lhe ordinary use of the scrubber or rubber is by pushing, and thatmovement tends to close the pan more tightly against the rubber l); buta pulling backward, together with. a. downward pressure, has the effectof opening the pan and causing the water to ilow in, as above described.

Havingdescribed my invention, whatl claim as new is- 1. The brush A,with one edge of its back ext-ended, as described, and the rabbeted backprovided with :1 rib, d, and rubber D, comproieetng from another side,wml Smtwle bined with the pvoted winter-pan F, subsprings to close theedge of said pan against stantially as set; forth.. the rubber, es setforth.

2. A Water pau or box, essentially trimlgu- FREDERICK A. BALCIT. hu' incross-section, one side whereof is eom- Titnessesz posed of nscrub-brush. and india-rubber 110cm MARTIN MCDONALD,

rubber, pivoted to said pim, and :n handle H. MOORE, Jr.

